The board of Lakeland Dairies has confirmed that the base price for milk supplied in April has been held from last month.
A base price of 41.9c/L – based on 3.6% butterfat and 3.3% protein – will be paid for April milk in the Republic of Ireland (ROI).
The base price includes the 0.5c/L Sustainability Incentive Payment and also a 1c/L Input Support Payment introduced last month, which continues to be paid on top of the base price.
This means that the all-in base price for ROI suppliers is 42.9c/L for milk supplied in April.
Meanwhile in Northern Ireland (NI), a base price of 34.5p/L will be paid for milk supplied in April.
The base price for April has held from last month and includes the 0.5p/L Sustainability Incentive Payment.
A 0.8p/L Input Support Payment also continues to be paid to all NI suppliers.
The all-in price for suppliers in NI is 35.3p/L for April.
Lakeland Dairies
The co-op said today (Friday, May 10) that although weather conditions had “become somewhat more manageable” in the last couple of weeks it recognised that its farmers had been battling a difficult spring.
“We recognise this and have therefore continued the input support for April.
“Global and EU milk supplies remain back on last year but the gap has begun to narrow.
“With the full year global supply picture looking generally more positive versus last month, buyers remain cautious and the market has been a little more volatile over the past month as a result,” Lakeland Dairies added.
The co-op also said that it will “continue to monitor the markets and will endeavour to support our farmers as best we can”.
Water quality
Lakeland Dairies today hosted an event focused on water quality on the award-winning Fitzpatrick family farm in Lisryan, Granard, Co. Longford.
More than 200 dairy farmers, and industry and political stakeholders, attended the event which was designed to showcase the “proactive steps” that the co-op’s derogation farmers like Eugene Fitzpatrick are “successfully taking to enhance and protect water quality”